Abdominal supporter



Dec. 14 1926. 1

J. P. GORDON ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER Filed May 31, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 14 1926. 15,610,513

J. P. GORDON ABDOMI NAL S UPPORT ER Filed May 31 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 23 a: Illllllllllllllllllll Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH I. GQRDON, 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

ABDOMINAL SUPPOBTER.

Application filed May 31, 1924.

This invention pertains in general to apparel and has more particular reference to abdominal supporters and to corsets of the abdominal supporting type.

One of the purposes of my inventlon 1s to provide an improved abdominal supporter so constructed that it will serve as a comfortable and satisfactory supporter in cases of corpulency and before and after confinement and which is characterized by its light yet durable construction and its adjustability to practically any form.

Another purpose is toprovide an abdominal supporter adapted to be worn in place of a corset and especially to be worn while participating in golf and other athletics. In this respect the supporter is so constructed as to firmly but yieldingly support the body, and has none of the objectionable features of the usual corset.

In furtherance of the foregoing my invention contemplates the provision, generally stated, of an abdominal and a back-supporting part each preferably but not necessarily constructed of approximately vertical stays joined by transverse strips, and side strips connecting the ends of the back-sup porting portion to the ends ofthe abdominalsupporting portion and being attached to the latter through the agency of draw strips, the connection being such as to per mit the side strips to slip vertically on the draw strips to accommodate the abdominalsupporting portion to the form'of the wearer, and the side strips preferably including elastic elements and buckles or the equivalent, whereby to secure the desired tautness or fit of the supporter and to permit the desired flexibility and expansion to conform to body movements. The quick adaptation of this supporter to almost any form will be readily apparent from the description hereinafter.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following descrip-- SeriaI No. 716,916.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged detailsection taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is a back view of the back-support ing portion of the supporter;

Fig. 4, is a front view of a modified form of the ahdominal-supporting portion;

Fig. 5, is a front view of still another modified form of the abdominal-supporting port-ion;

Fig. 6, isa rear View of a modified form of the back-supporting portion; and

Figs. 7 and 8, are front and edge views respectively of a .spring buckle used with my improvements.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be observed that the abdominal-supporting. portion is formed of a plurality'of approximately vertical stays 9, fabric covered, joined by transverse upper, lower and intermediate strips 11, 12 and 18, respectively. To each end of the abdominatsupporting portion is attached a draw strip shaped so as to provide a triangular end portion to the apex of which is attached a side strip which con nects to the back portidn as will be presently described. The location of this apex or the point of attachment of each side strip to the end portion of the abdominal-support is shiftable vertically with respect to the support proper in order to accommodate the latter to different degrees of corpulency and to hold said support firmly in position under such different conditions. In the pre ferred embodiment of my invention the side strips which give the major support and in this instance the sole support to the front and back portions by reason of their posse tion on the wearer justabove the hips. at-

tach to said end portions of the abdominalsupporting portion so as to slip vertically thereon when positioning the supporter on a wearer. By reason of this construction the lines of pull on the abdominal-supporting portion will be centralized with respect to the resistance and in accordance to the fitting of said supporting portion to the form. In the preferred embodiment this result is attained by making said end draw portions of strips 1 f turned medially upon themselves into angular relation and attached at their ends to the upper and lower of any suitable construction and preferably of approximately vertical stays joined by'upper and lower strip'stlti'and '1'? respectively which are'preterably arranged so as to provide triangular end' portions so as to provide a centralized attachment point ateach end. To each' en dotthe bt1Cl-Sl1P- porting portion attached a'sidestri'p 18 preferablyin the form of a non-elastic tabric but includingan elastic element as wilt be presently described. .Each side stfipj18 may be suitably attached to the adjacent end of the back-supporting portion as through the agency of a wire loop 19 through which the end strips of 'said portion are passed.

My invention conteinplate'sthe provision for lengthwiseadjustment ofeac'h sid'e strip 18 to accommodate different dimensions 0t plished in asimple and practical m'annerbythe provision of a'spring buckletor each" side strip, which buckle also serves to es' tablish a slip connection with the adjacent end d'rawwtrips 14. The construction of such spring bucxle is bestshown in 7 and 8 from which it will? be seen that the body 21 of thebuckle is formed of a series of" convolutions of wire, one end 22 of which is shaped to provide'a'hook and the opposite end 23 to provide'a'loop through which the medial. portion or apex of the adjacent end strip 11 passes. It will be-inaniiest viewing Fig. 1 that each side strip 18 which is perforated as a belt may be passed lengthwise through the'body portionQ'l ol? the ad jacent buckle and connected-to the'hoo'lreud QEthereofin any one of the perforation". The lengthwise. adjustment of each side strip is thus obtained through the buckle connection. the elasticity or rcsiliancy through the spring buckle, and the adjustability as tothe' line of pull. or distribution of'the supporting pressure by shitting-the spring buckle through slippingit vertically upoirandwith respect to its end strip 14- notcd by the dotted linepositions at the left" hand-end of Fig. 1. Nhile'I prefer to em ploy sprlng buckles 21 in the manner dis- 'my invention, in which the vertically disposed stays 2st are longer and a pair of end draw strips are'provided at each end oi said portion. In this form the stays are'joined bya suitable number of transverse strips 25 certain of which may be continued to form the end-draw strips as shown. The upper andlower end draw strips 26 and 27 re spectively are substantially the same inconstruction and function as the'end draw strip ld'above described, and to each of these ends is attached a spring buckleQS. An abdomi= nail-supportingportion of this type is required where greater-support is necessary. but the principles of construction and advantages th'ereot' are'substant'ially the same as embodied" in the more simple form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 1 and 3. The back su'pporting'portion to be wornwith the abdominal-supporting portion shown inFigv el'lias an up perand a lower side strip attached to each end for connection to the upperand lower springbuc'kles 28. A form of back-supporting portion suitable to this end is shown in Fig. 6 comprisino-vertical stays 29 joined by transverse strips 51 which in this instance :t'orm? upper and lower triangular end portionsElQ and respectively to which the upper and lower sidestrips 3-1- and are at ached, these side strips being 'ie'rfdrated and-adapted for connection to the spring buckles 28 in tlies-ianie nmuner as the side strips 18 are adapted'itor connectionto the spring buckles 21. Inasmuch as a support ol this size and shape is usually worninainly incases of corpule'ncy, one or more siddpads Stimay be suitably supported on'eitlier one or both of the side strips 3% and 35.

In Fig. 5 l have shown still another modification of. the abdon'iiiialsupporting portion which con'lprises approximately vertical stay joined by upper, lower and inter mediate trair-sverse strips 38, and ll, end draw strips and a nonadjustable lower id draw strip 4-3. A spring buchledd is attached to each atljur 't ile end draw strip and a sprii buckle is at 'achcd to each non-adjustable end drar-j' strip 42?); This term of supporter may he use: with upper and lower side strips such as applied with a baclt-suppoiting portion of the'type shown in Fig. 6.

Any one of the three embodiments 01'? the invention disclosed herein may be used in place oi the usual corset and likewise for the purpose oi? an abdominal supporter. The Forms shown in l and 5 are especially 'gued as a substitute for corsets. These forms are particularly well suited to be worn for golfing and while participating in other athletics, while the form shown in Fig. 4i is designed more particularly for cases o'l corpulency and other instances where greater support is required.

It will be manifested to those skilled in this art that in any form of the invention the abdominal-supporting portion is selfadjustable to accommodate variatioin; in ditiierent forms and is further adjustable by means of the buckles for waist dimensions. These abdominal supporters may be worn by both. men and women and when used in place (it the usual corset suitable garter supiorts may be attached.

it is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects and principles or" my invention and it will be manifest from the different embodiments disclosed that considerable change might be made in the construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope oi the invention as expressed in the appended claims, in which I claim:

1. An abdominal supporter comprising an abdominal-supporting portion, a back-sup; porting portion, a spring buckle attached to each end of the abdominal-supporting portion, and a side strip attached to each end of the back-supporting portion and adapted to be worn over the hips and to be connected to said spring buckles, each spring buckle being vertically adjustable upon and with respect to the abdomintil-supporting portion.

2. An abdominal supporter comprising an abdominal-siiipporting portion formed of approximately vertical stays joined by strips of non-elastic material and having at each end a strip providing a loop, a back-supporting portion, and a lengthwise adjustable connection between each end of the back-supporting portion and the adjacent loop in cluding a part through which the loop passes and which is vertically adjustable upon and with respect to the loop.

3. An abdominal supporting type of corsot comprising an abdomintil-supporting portion formed of approximately vertical stays connected by strips and having at each end a buckle-carrying strip, a spring buckle attached to each end strip so as to be vertically adjustable thereon, a back-supporting portion, and side strips connected to the back-supporting portion and having perforated ends adapted to be passed through the buckles and connected thereto. v

4. An abdominal-supporter comprising an abdonlinal-supporting portion terminating at each end in a draw strip fastened at its ends at upper and lower points thereon, a spring buckle attached to each draw strip so as to slip vertically thereon, and a backembracing portion having side strips adapted for connection to said buckles.

5. An abdominal supporting type of cor set con'iprising an abdominal and a back-supporting portion each formed of approximately vertical stays joined by transverse strips, the abdominal-supporting portion having at each end a draw strip, and lengthwise extensible means including a side strip attached to each end of the back-supporting portion and connected to the adjacent draw strips so as to slip vertically thereon.

(3. An abdominal supporting type of corset comprising an abdominal and a backsupporting portion each formed of approximately vertical stays joined by a fabric body, the abdominal-supporting portion having at each end a draw strip, andlengthwise ad justable means including a side strip attached to each end of the back-supporting portion and connected to the adjacent draw strips so as to slip vertically thereon.

7. An abdominal supporting type of corset comprising an abdominal and a backsupporting portion, a draw strip for each end of the abdominal-supporting portion at tached at its ends at an upper and a lower point thereon, and a lengthwise adjustable connection between each end of the backsupporting portion the adjacent draw strip connected to the latter so as to slip vertically thereon.

8. An abdominal supporting type of corset comprising an abdominal and a back supporting portion, a draw strip for each end or". the abdomirial-supporting portion attached at its ends at an upper and a lower point thereon, and a lengthwise adjustable connection between each end of the back-supporting portion and the adjacent draw strip connected to the latter so as to slip vertically thereon and including a resilient element.

9. In combination, an abdominal and a back-supporting portion, the former having a triangular draw strip at each end and the latter having a side strip at each end connected to the apex of each draw strip and vertically adjustable thereon.

10. In combination, an abdominal and a back-supporting portion, the former having a triangular draw strip at each end and the latter having a side strip at each end connected to the apex of each draw strip and vertically adjustable thereon,.the connection between each side strip and its draw strip being established'by a slip connection.

11. In combination, an abdominal and a back-supporting portion, the former having a triangular draw strip ateach end and the latter having a side strip at each end con- Hill nectcd to the apex'o'f each draw strip and vertically adjustable thereon, the connection between each side strip and its draw strip being established by a slip connection provided by a spring buckle.

12. An abdominal supporter comprising an abdoininal-supporting portion terminating at each end in a triangular strip, and a back enibracing portion having ends con- JOSEPH P. GORDON. 

